Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun (21 February-18 December 1916) was a major battle of World War I that occurred when the Imperial German Army assaulted the French fortress town of Verdun on the German border, hoping to lure the French Army into a battle of annihilation; instead, it would be the largest and longest battle of the war, and it would see catastrophic losses on both sides. The Germans captured Fort Douaumont in the first three days of the offensive, but their advance was slowed by a costly French defense. French artillery bombarded German troops on the east bank of the Meuse River, and general Philippe Petain ordered that no withdrawals were to be made; instead, the French would counterattack until victorious. Fort Douaumont changed hands several times, as did the double ring of 28 fortresses around Verdun. 120,000 shells were fired at the fort, which was the site of a bloody 22 May 1916 French assault, and it was not until 24 October that the entire fortress was recaptured by the French. Over 100,000 French troops were lost at Douaumont alone, and the Germans began to crack as their supply lines were thinned out by the concurrent Battle of the Somme. The 303-day battle saw around 377,231 French and 337,000 Germans become casualties, with an average of 70,000 casualties being made each month; a later estimate stated that as many as 976,000 people were lost at Verdun. The battle was a costly French victory, as the French reclaimed the Verdun fortresses, and the German offensive would be halted.